Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration

Ed Catmull, co-founder of Pixar Animation, has a knack for combining storytelling, technology, and business to create magic. Catmull and his Pixar team changed history by introducing Toy Story, the first fully computer-animated feature film, to the world. Pixar continues to deliver heartwarming stories that delight children and adults worldwide.

Once Catmull’s original goal of creating Toy Story was complete, he arrived at his new purpose: understanding why so many smart people in Silicon Valley startups made bad decisions that ultimately led to their company’s demise despite initial success. He wanted to protect Pixar from the same fate and create a successful and creative culture.

After nearly four decades of discovering how to shape successful, creative environments at Pixar and Disney, Ed Catmull (with Amy Wallace) shares the lessons he’s learned in his New York Times bestseller Creativity Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration. The book is designed to help all of us, especially leaders, understand the factors that get in the way of creativity.

With so much knowledge to share, the expanded edition of Creativity, Inc. weighs in at a whopping 436 pages and includes an afterward about Steve Jobs, some starting points that list the book’s main ideas, and Acknowledgements.

Creativity, Inc. takes us through Catmull’s life starting with his childhood dream of becoming a Disney animator, to his pursuit of physics and computer science, and his eventual understanding of how his love of art and science could complement one another. Readers also learn how he came to work with some of the greatest minds of our time, such as George Lucas and Steve Jobs.

Catmull thoughtfully shares many stories about his experiences with challenge and failure: how his company was losing money, how the Pixar stories we know and love today started completely different, how the push for excellence can lead to dangerous burnout, and how solving a problem will always lead to a new problem.

To guide others in cultivating a creative culture, Catmull shares many of his philosophies. A few include (my wording): candor is critical, anyone can have a great idea, seeking shows strength, always make space for mistakes and unpredictability, and companies must root out fear.

Check out some of the most insightful quotes below, but grab the book for the unforgettable, behind-the-scene stories that will help you take your creativity to the next level.

11 Quotes from Creativity, Inc.

Autonomy

“The leaders of my department understood that to create a fertile laboratory, they had to assemble different kinds of thinkers and then encourage their autonomy. They had to offer feedback when needed but also had to be willing to stand back and give us room. . . . I knew that the most valuable thing I was taking away from the U of U was the model my teachers had provided for how to lead and inspire other creative thinkers” (19).

Bravery

“The bravest thing a person can do is to accept their own limitations and fully embrace how much we all need one another” (405-406).

Candor

“A hallmark of a healthy creative culture is that its people feel free to share ideas, opinions, and criticisms. Lack of candor, if unchecked, ultimately leads to dysfunctional environments” (86).

Creativity

“To nurture creativity is to accept that you will always be solving new problems. you will never have everything figured out” (xi).

“I’ve known many people I consider to be creative geniuses, and not just at Pixar and Disney, yet I can't remember a single one who could articulate exactly what this vision was that they were striving for when they started” (251).

“The older I get, the more I believe that creativity requires no longer clinging to old ways, enjoying the growth of others, and thus creating an environment of both safety and responsibility. Creativity demands that we participate in relentless change, but it is best expressed in our understanding of and relationships with others” (406).

Communication & Fear

“So we gathered the company together and said: Going forward, anyone should be able to talk to anyone else, at any level, at any time, without fear of reprimand. . . . People talking directly to one another, then letting the manager find out later, was more efficient than trying to make sure that everything happened in the ‘right’ order and through the ‘proper’ channels” (64).

Failure

“There's a quick way to determine if your company has embraced the negative definition of failure. Ask yourself what happens when an error is discovered. Do people shut down and turn inward, instead of coming together to untangle the causes of problems that might be avoided going forward? Is the question being asked: Whose fault was this? If so, your culture is one that vilifies failure” (124-125).

Inclusion

“Some people believe folks should stay in their lane and limit themselves to their strict job description. This is not necessary, in my experience at least, and counterproductive. Which is why I have fought to amplify the voices of those in my team, regardless of their technical role” (398).

Passion

“At Pixar, people are urged to follow and harness their personal passions. I believe that without passion—intense feelings about subjects, projects, stories, or approaches— there is no creativity. But with passion can come an intensity that some people mistake for conflict. I think it's important to tease this out, because when people confuse the two, it can detract from their willingness to be candid” (404).

Perfectionism

“Don’t wait for things to be perfect before you share them with others. Show early and show often. It’ll be pretty when we get there, but it won’t be pretty along the way. And that’s as it should be" (430).